29b. TRAVELS IN 
one place only, shaded by mimosas that had withstood the 
drought, was a small puddle of muddy water. Of this we 
contrived to bale out with our hats a small quantity for the 
horses, but it afforded none for the cattle. The strong grass, 
in many places, and the reeds still retaining some verdure, 
were greedily devoured by the oxen ; and it was to this cir- 
cumstance, I am convinced,, that their final safety was owing. 
Riding over the surface of the valley in search of some 
pond or rivulet that might afford a little water, the glimpse 
of a small pool caught the eye of my horse through some 
thick bushes, into which he furiously sprung, and, in spite 
of resistance, forced his way into the water. He had no 
sooner, however, applied his mouth to it, than he withdrew 
his head, finding it to be as salt as brine. It was in fact the 
Salt river mentioned on a former visit to this place. Much, 
of the water having evaporated in the course of the long, 
series of hot weather, the banks were now encrusted with, 
plates of salt, that wore the appearance of ice.. 
The reeds and rush-like grass having in some degree re- 
freshed our cattle, towards the cool of the day we determined 
to start afresh, to strike off towards the edge of the desert,, 
and cross the great range of the Black mountains, beyond 
which there was no uncertainty of meeting with water. Ouc 
miserable cattle were, therefore, once more put into the wag- 
gons, and moving slowly through a pass of the mountains,, 
which proved to be tolerably level, we came about midnight 
to a place where a Hottentot had told us was the Karre& 
fonteyn. After searching about for some time in the dark^., 
